This morning, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its first stab at 4Q 2016 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Since the BEA estimated the economy grew at a 3.5% annual rate for 3Q 2016, no one was expecting a huge number (or shouldn’t have). However, the 1.9% figure the BEA gave us was less than the so-called ‘consensus’ estimate of 2.2%, but it wasn’t surprising. In fact, it was the somewhat gaudy 3Q estimate I...

Whenever I write anything about Bitcoin, I receive a number of emails from, um, well-wishers calling me any number of colorful names, to put it politely. It seems people have really strong opinions about their cryptocurrencies. Anyone who isn’t completely onboard with them is a Luddite, or worse, as I found out in no uncertain terms. I have a friend who knows my general opinion on Bitcoin, and he has been quick to tell me...

With what I am about to write, you might think I woke up this morning in a bad mood, but I am not. The sun came up in the East, and I am standing on the right side of the Earth. Yeah, I feel pretty good, great even. I won’t lie; getting back to the standard routine of work has been, strangely enough, relaxing. Perhaps I am wired a little too tightly. With that said,...

We will undoubtedly remember 2016 as one of the more confounding, frustrating, and tumultuous years in our nation’s peacetime history. I think it fair to say most of us, if not all, felt some measure of significant angst, if not disillusionment, at some point over the last 12 months. I would further argue, when taken as a whole, most of us will be happy to see 2016 in the rearview mirror, regardless of any personal...